Sailing Myth and Reality

"The boat was a thing of beauty, especially in the technical department. Until then, my sea-going education had been limited to primitive vessels—"primitive" meaning that all the systems were manual: mainsails that had to be reefed on deck, by hand; anchors that had to be raised on the windlass one link at a time; foresails that had to be hanked on and off in every weather condition; cockpit and mast winches that had to be hand-cranked; backing, turning, and docking that depended on the propeller, rudder, and skill of the helmsman. These systems I knew were simple but they worked and I trusted them"Story